Includes bibliographical references and index

1. Introduction: Pentecostals, Prominence, and Politics / Edward L. Cleary -- 2. Pentecostals, Politics, and Public Space in Latin America / Michael Dodson -- 3. Pentecostalism and Women in Brazil / Cecilia Loreto Mariz and Maria das Dores Campos Machado -- 4. Private Power or Public Power: Pentecostalism, Base Communities, and Gender / Carol Ann Drogus -- 5. Interchurch Relations: Exclusion, Ecumenism, and the Poor / Guillermo Cook --

"Today over forty million Latin Americans classify themselves as Protestant, of which the overwhelming majority belong to some form of Pentecostalism. The rapid dissemination of Pentecostal beliefs has produced vibrant alternatives to traditional dominant culture and changed relations within the family, locality, and workplace. This volume introduces broad issues in the Pentecostal movement, including gender relations, political power and organization, and inter-Pentecostal and ecumenical relations. These themes are then examined more specifically in the country case studies, which address the historical foundations of the Pentecostal movement, patterns of and explanation for its growth, and the consequences of its expanding presence, including increased political influence."--Jacket